Pensions: Minimum Income Guarantee

Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 2:44 pm on 12 March 2001.

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Photo of Baroness Castle of Blackburn Baroness Castle of Blackburn Labour 2:44, 12 March 2001

My Lords, is the Minister really satisfied with a situation in which the Government, having launched a massive take-up campaign directed at half a million people, by this stage can report only that 80,000-odd people have responded? Can the Government explain why people do not like means testing? I hope that the Minister will not say that they are too rich to benefit. Does the Minister realise that as a result of the pensioner credit the number of those on means-tested benefits will rise dramatically and something like 5½ million people whom the Government say will qualify for pensioner credit will become means tested? If the Minister cannot sell the present system to the potential recipients, can she hope to persuade 5½ million people to take up their due?